Alphabetic keyboard controller



Oct. 1953 J. M. CUNNINGHAM ET AL 2,554,812

ALPHABETIC KEYBOARD CONTROLLER Original Filed Nov. 23, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

RELEASE /|0\\ (DUPLICATE) .FIG. 8

IFHTTIITI Y SKIP *KEY PUNCH DUPLICATE SKIP o c unuuunnnnnmnum 3 I nu mum: um um um 5 DECIDED unu Y SKIP DUPLICATE SKIP O: unuununnuuunu 3 DD DU DD DD DD 5 nnn unn X KEY PUNCH DLPLICATF- KEY PUNCH SKIP 52: 5 n mun U :1 3 n5 n3 DUDE 53 5 u s 5 D M855 5 a 5 52 l6 820224262830 Z436384OQ44 4o 05254565B0 JOHN JONES I 23456789NEW YORK INVENTORS JAMES M. CUNNINGHAM YARTHUR F. SMITH ATTORNEY 1953 J. M. CUNNINGHAM ET AL 4,

ALPHABETIC KEYBOARD CONTROLLER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov. 23, 1948 0 REL DUP 0 W EA T YU J K Lsm s,.-------------------- n U.

2 u EQJEMLL F I G. 3

lNVENTORS JAMES M. C

,ARTH R F SM BY (14M ATTORNEY UNNIINFGHAM Oct. 6, 1953 J. M. CUNNINGHAM ET AL 2,654,812

ALPHABETIC KEYBOARD CONTROLLER s Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Nov. 23, 1948 Ll UUL-IUU U a l cm mm ZOEDDmZ m 6Ev m 2 8 .N g m @E 0N N ll 8 a o o o mm 3 ow D Q l.

m 5 E @r NN Q Q Pa tentecl Oct. 6, 1953 James M. Cunningham and Arthur F. Smith,

Endicott, N. Y., assignors to International Busines's Machines Corporation,- New York, N. Y.,- a corporation of New York Original application November 23, 1948, Serial No. 61,662; now Patent No. 2,566,931, dated September 4,; 1951.- Divided and this application July 2, 1951, Serial No. 234,802

8 Claims. (01. ZOO-=18) This invention relates to a key and/or pattern card' operated punching machine for" effecting data perforations in record cards.

The present invention is primarily for use in a punching machine for punching so-c'alled multideck record cards which are fed one by one from a supply hopper to and past a, row of punches, step by step as disclosed and claimed in our copendin'g applicationv Serial No. 61,662, filed November 23', 1948', now-Patent No. 2,566,931 issued September 4, I951. Provision is made in this punching machine to unch key-set data in a first deck as the card passes the row 6f punches and, if data is to be unched in a second deck, the card is then retracted and fed past the row of p'un'ches a second time to receive data in the second deck. Similarly, if a third deck is to receive punching, the card is retracted for a second time and then fed past the punches to receive data in the third deck. The card is not shifted along its lesser dimension to punch the plurality of decks and a bank ofpu'nches extending across three decks, here twenty-one punches, is employed.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved keyboard incorporatingtherein coding devices,v whereby a key representing an alphabetic or numeric character or a symbol will establish circuit connections to efiect punching. of holes in accordance with a 7-hole combination code.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following. description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and. the. .best mode, which. been contemplated. of. applying that principle.

In the drawings: V

Fig. l is a plan View of the alphahetic keyboard of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view ofithe' alphabetic keyboard with the casing partly broken awayto show the interior mechanism.

Fig. 3 is an emarged detail of part" of the key operated selecting mechanism.

Fig; 4 shows the arts-in Fi 3 in anotherpositi'on". v

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5&5 ofFig'. c;

Fig. 6"is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig.2;

Fig. 7- is a section taken on line 1--Tof"Fi'g. 6 showing. the combination selecting mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a view of the card and-code perforations. I

This application a division" of ourco'pendin'g application No. 611662, filed November 23'.

2 1948, now Patent No. 2,566,931 issued September 4; 1951.

The card The record card which is used in conjunction with the keyboard of this invention is shown in Fig. 8 where it is shown provided with five decks designated A, B, C, D and E, each of which has seven horizontal rows of punching positions designated X, Y, Z, 0, 1, 3, 5. The card is further provided with sixty verticalcolums so that it will be seen provision is made for recording three hundred characters on this card. In the great majority of commercial applications, three decks are generally sufficient to'record necessary data, as three decks of sixty columns each provide one hundred and eighty character recording positions. The record card is designed to cooperate with a row of punches extending across the three lower decks A, B and C spaced to correspond to the punching positions on the card, that is, there are twenty-one punches. The punching mechanism is described in further detail in the above mentioned copendin'g' application.

The card is first m'ovedpast these punches and the set of seven punches related to a selected one of the three decks A,-B or'C is oper'ated to punch data in this selected deck. The card: is then re tracted, preferably automatically, and moved past the punches asecondtime" during which the group of seven punches related to either of the other two deck-s are operated to punch the desired data in its related deck, and finally after a second retraction the" card is moved past the punches a third time, during which the set of punches related to the third deck is operated.

As usual in this type of operation, a master or pattern card is inserted in asuita-ble reading station and this card is provided with perforations which are to-be duplicated in each of the cards moved past the row of punches; Inthe aforementioned punching machine, the arrangement is such that all data to'be' duplicated is punched in the blank card during the first movement thereof past the row of punches. This firstmovement is termed a first pass. 'Ihe'second' movement is termed the second pass, and similarly the third movement is called the third pass; so that during the first passof'lthecard all-data obtained as a' result of control by the pattern card is punched regardless of the-deck in which it occurs. Thus, inFig'. 8 the three card fields designated Duplicate" are punched during the first .pass.

The perforations in the seven punching posi- 3 tions of the several decks are made in accordance with the following codes:

Character Where additional punching is required in the D and E decks, the cards are fed through the punching machine in a separate operation but inverted to feed face down, and the set of punches in each deck is operated invertedly, that is, the X punch is operated to record in the position, the Y punch is operated to record in the 3 position, and the Z punch is operated to record in the 1 position and so on. When duplicating, this is accomplished by also inverting the pattern card.

The card of Fig. 8 shows variable data punched in the fields labeled Key Punch under control of manually operated keys l0 (Fig. 2) and. common data punched in fields labeled Duplicate under control of the pattern card (not shown), which latter contains perforations in its corresponding fields. The fields labeled Skip are left blank and automatically passed.

Alphabetic keyboard The keyboard which comprises this invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the keys in arranged in a conventional manner for operation by a typist. Additional keys designated REL, DUP, SKIP, 5, X, Y and Z are provided in the lower right hand corner with the four last named keys shaded to distinguish them from similarly identified keys in the conventional group.

Referring to Fig. 6, each key It is suitably supported for vertical movement and is normally biased upwardly by a spring Ii. When depressed, key 50 will rock a bell crank lever 12 to draw a connected link l3 toward the left. The space key a has a similar bell crank connection to a link I3, so that all of the keys when operated will actuate a related link l3 with the exception 4 of the Duplicate key H) which closes a pair of contacts (not shown) when depressed.

Each link l3 has a right angle extension |5 (Fig. 2) at its free end normally lying in a notch I6 of a latch I! (see Fig. 3). This latch has a l Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, the latch Ii serves to hold slide 2| in its upper position against the action of a spring 22.

Operation of any key H3 or Hla (except the Duplicate key) will shift its related link Hi to the left as viewed in Fig. 3 and the latter will engage one side of notch IE to rock latch I! counterclockwise out of engagement with bar I9. Thereupon, spring 22 will drive slide 2| down to the position of Fig. 4 with shoulder it of the latch passing to the left of bar I9 and bearing against it due to the influence of a spring 23 compressed between slide 2| and latch H.

The slides 2| are all provided with a series of notches 24 into which the fingers 25 of a set of ten plates 26 extend. Each plate is integral with a rod 21 (Fig. '7) mounted for oscillation in end plates 28. Thus, when a slide 2| is lowered it will through engagement of the upper edge of its notch or notches cause one or more fingers 25 to rock the related rods 21. In Fig. 7 the rods 21 are labeled 5, 3, 1, 0, Z, Y, X, KB, SKIP and REL and the fingers 25 are arranged combinationally so that, when a particular character key is operated, the rods 2! corresponding to the combination for that key, as set forth in the table above, will be rocked. For example, if the A key is operated, its slide 2| will engage fingers extending from the 5, 3, 1 and X rods to rock this combination. In the same manner the other characters will selectively rock the rods, and inspection of Fig. 7 will show that for each character the combination of rods 21 that is rocked will be in accordance with said table. For the special characters, such as asterisks, apostrophe, etc., the shift key is operated as in normal typing, and this rocks the X rod while the character key rocks the remainder of the required rods.

The KB (key bail) rod 2! has a finger 25 in all positions except Shift, so that when any slide 2| is operated, it will rock the KB rod 2'! in addition to the code rods. The Skip and Releasekeys rock separate rods 2! similarly identified.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 6, each slide 2| has pivoted at 20 and adjacent to its latch 11 a. spring pressed lever 29 which, when the slide is lowered, will assume the position of Fig. 4 where its upper extremity extends slightly above the left edge of notch 16. This lever is to guard against an inadvertent repeat operation where the operator may hold the key depressed in such a position that, when latch I! restores upwardly, it may be caught by extension l5 and held to the left. Lever 29 prevents this by elevating extension l5, if it is not in its fully restored position, and maintaining it out of the notch |6 until the notch and the extension are returned to the position of Fig. 3.

The latches H are interlocked by the well known type of interlocking disks 38 indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 which allow only one latch to operate at a time with the exception of the ones related to the Shift keys, which are not interlocked.

Restoration of the slides is effected by a pair of magnets 3| (Figs. 2 and 6) whose armatures 32 secured to a rod 33, when attracted, will elevate a. ball 34 to engage extensions of latches 53 and concurrently raise and rock the latches from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 3.

Each plate 26 and related rod 21 has a single, rearwardly extending finger 35 and these are arranged in two vertical rows near the extremities of the rods (Figs. 2 and 6) with alternate fingers at one end for more convenient spacing. Each finger 35 extends beneath an insulated contact blade 35 (Fig. normally out of contact with a common conductor 3'! so that, when a rod is rocked, the related finger 35 will shift its blade 36 into contact with common conductor 31. Accordingly, the contacts 36, 31 are closed in combinations corresponding to the combinational arrangement of fingers 25 in Fig. 7 and in the table above, and these contacts will close circuits to effect punching operations.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A keyboard for controlling the operation of a recording machine, having a plurality of keys, a set of contacts less in number than the number of keys, a plurality of actuating members for the contacts, a latch for each member to nor- ,mally hold it in an inactive position, a spring biasing each member toward an active position to actuate a different combination of said set of contacts, and means controlled by each key for releasing the related latch, whereby the member will immediately under action of its spring move to its active position.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which each member is effective upon movement to its active position to cause the related latch to move out of cooperative relationship with a key.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2 in which means is provided for restoring each member to its inactive position against the action of its spring, and for concurrently restoring the latch to hold the related member in restored position.

4. A keyboard for controlling the operations of a recording machine having a plurality of keys, contacts related thereto, a plurality of actuating members for the contacts, a latch for each member and normally holding each member in an inactive position, resilient means biasing each member toward an active position to operate a different combination of the contacts, operating means controlled by the keys for operating the latches to release the members for immediate movement by said resilient biasing means to their active position, means for restoring and relatching the members, and means controlled by the restoring means to prevent further operation of the latches until the keys have been fully restored.

5. A keyboard for controlling the operations of a recording machine having a plurality of keys, contacts related thereto, a plurality of actuating members for the contacts, a latch for each member and normally holding each member in an inactive position, resilient means biasing the members toward an active position to operate a different combination of the contacts, operating means controlled by the keys for operating the latches to release the members for immediate movement by said resilient biasing means to its active position, means for restoring and relatchin the members, and means controlled by the restoring means to disconnect the said opera-ting means from the latches if the keys have not been released.

5. A keyboard for controlling the operations of a recording machine, comprising a plurality of keys, a set of contacts less in number than the number of keys, a slide for each key normally latched in an inactive position and each key being arranged upon actuation to operate a different combination of said set of contacts, and a connection between each key and its related slide for unlatching the slide upon operation of the key.

7. In combination, a set of contacts, a plurality of contact shifting slides supported for reciprocation, a plurality of latches for holding the slides in an inactive position, a plurality of keys, a connection between each key and a related latch normally arranged in cooperative relationship, so that the operation of said keys will cause the connections to operate the latches and release said slides for movement to an active position, the releasing of said slides causing a different combination of said set of contacts to be operated, means for restoring the slides, means carried by the slides and effective upon their restoration for moving said connections out of cooperative relationship with the related latches, if the keys have not been released.

8. In combination, a set of contacts, a plurality of contact shifting slides supported for reciprocation, a latch for each slide to hold it normally in an inactive position, a plurality of keys, a connection between each key and its related latch normally arranged in cooperative relationship, so that operation of any key will cause its connection to operate the related latch and release its slide for movement to an active position to operate a different combination of said contacts, means for restoring the released slide, means carried by the released slide and effective upon restoration thereof for preventing reoperation of its latch, if the related key is not restored, and means for holding said preventing means of the non-operated key ineifective whereby such key may be operated to operate its latch durin said restoring movement.

JAMES M. CUNNINGHAM. ARTHUR F. SMITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

